Hey guys! Back with a question. I have a 2006 Prius with 51,000 miles bought from a Toyota dealership this past July with 44,000 miles. They put new rotors and brakes on it before we bought it, but lately i've been noticing a noise when coming to a stop and the friction brakes engage. It's definitely not the electric brake pump, I know what that sounds like. This is like a ticking noise. I really hear it when I'm coming to a stop sign down a hill. It isn't loud but I can hear it ticking, and each time it ticks, you can faintly feel it and hear it. You don't hear it when the friction brakes engage at higher speeds, just like when coming to a slow stop, you'll hear "tick tick tick....tick." Any ideas?
Let a mechanic look at it, most brake inspections are free. Why would a prius need rotors and pads at 44k?
Three things that come to mind that could cause such a noise. (1) A loose wheel nut. (2) Something stuck in one of the tyres probably on the front. (3) A loose wheel cover (plastic trim) although I doubt you would feel this. John (Britprius)
I'll have it looked at. I didn't know most brake inspections are free, nice to know though. I don't know myself. They just replaced them. They looked fine to me when I first test drove the car, but when I came back to buy it, the rotors were new and so were the pads.
I'll check those things, but I'm pretty sure the sound is coming within the braking system. Again, I know it isn't the electric brake pump. It usually only does it a few times after the friction brakes were just engaged, then stops.
If your car has an aux input to the radio you can plug in a small microphone " even small ear bud headphones work" and attach it to where any noise may be coming from. With the radio set to AUX and the volume turned up you will be surprised what noises you can trace. Works like a stethoscope. John (Britprius)
Since you bought the car in July from an actual Toyota dealer, they should have offered you some type of warranty on the car. I would take it back to them and let them take a look. Tell them the dealership put new brakes on there before you bought the car and now it seems to be making noises. I've read as the brakes age, the brake pins could make some noise but I don't know if that's something you can feel (from your description). You just have to lubricate the pins and it should stop making noise.
Tonight, pulling up to the same stop sign I do daily, I heard and felt it again. Now that I think about it, it's more of a "gripping" that's going on, cause each time it makes that "tick" noise, I can feel a faint *gripping* or "grabbing" of the brakes. I'll take it somewhere to have it looked at.
Maybe one of the rotors not running true, this can be caused by a bit of dirt on hub when new ones were fitted.
I have the same issue, a clicking or tapping noise at low speed. Mine is intermittent, normally the ticking occurs when I'm in stop and go traffic, and I have my foot slightly on the brake allowing the vehicle to move forward, but not totally off of the brake (about 0 - 9 mph). Car in front moves, take foot off brake slightly to move forward -- Tick, Tick, Tick, then foot back on the brake to come to a stop. But I don't hear the ticking if I'm really braking from speed, or while coasting when driving. Mine seems to come from the right rear brake drum, but not sure if it is the drum or other brake component.
I managed to film the noise today on video and you can hear it really well. In the video, I was pressing slightly on the brakes repeatedly, but it makes this same noise when coming to a stop (~5mph or below) and will make it even just sitting at a stop light at 0mph.
i think others have reported similar, but to no end because no one wants to spend the money at the dealer since the brakes work fine.
I posted a video above, if you got to hear it. Someone said something about pins needing to be lubed?
sounds like a "knock, knock, knock" sound, rather than "tick, tick, tick" sound. My 2007 makes tick sounds every chance it gets, sometimes it makes click sounds too.
Sometimes brake rotors pick up glazing or other deposits from new pads during the breaking-in period. I'd try taking the car out to a little traveled road, getting speed up to about 60 mph and braking good and hard until the car nearly stops. Repeat the process three or four times and see if the noise is gone.
To accomplish much use of the friction brakes, I'd actually recommend getting to 30-35 on an empty safe road, popping it in neutral, and braking. Be careful as the braking performance will be very different from normal, but this is the point. In neutral only the friction brakes are used. This would remove any coating and is the occasionally recommended procedure around here for when brakes acquire strange noises due to rust. DO NOT use neutral above ~42 mph as this will over-rev one of the motors possibly damaging it (4-digit repair bill). Also do not leave the car in neutral for any extended period as the battery cannot be recharged. I accidentally went from 7 to 2 bars once with the AC on (recirculate) in a car wash. Scared me.
